Tropical Kabobs {Quick Dinner Fixins}

Tropical kabobs are skewers of chicken, shrimp, and pineapple that have been marinated in a tropical flavored marinade. Easy to make, and so delicious!

I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but we’ve been stuck in a heat wave of the tropical sort for one too many days in a row. The weather finally broke and we are back in the comfortable range, but I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter what the weather, someone is going to be complaining about it.

Inspired by the heat (or maybe suffering from a minor unexpected heat stroke) and a bottle of coconut oil the kind people at Kelapo sent me, I set out to create some island inspired tropical kabobs.

Knowing nothing of the islands, or what supper would be like there, pineapple in one hand and coconut oil in the other, I pretty much decided to wing this one.

Tropical Kabobs: Chicken Pineapple and Shrimp on a Stick

cuz everything’s better on a stick.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breast

1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Soyaki, or tropical marinade of choice

24 large shrimp, cleaned and shells removed except for the tails

2 cups diced pineapple

Preparation:

Dice the chicken and let it mingle with Trader Joe’s Soyaki for a few hours. Skewer the chicken and pineapple and throw them on a well oiled grill over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through, rotating about every 2 minutes. Meanwhile, skewer the shrimp, about 6 per kabob and place over medium heat for approx 5 to 8 minutes, turning once halfway through. Baste both the chicken and shrimp kabobs with extra marinade if desired.

Coconut Rice

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff rice when cooked.

I had never worked with coconut oil before this meal, and to be honest, I tried a few other recipes (to be posted soon) with it as well just to get a better feel for it. When I mentioned coconut oil to people, it seems their opinions vary in that its either a health fad that’s amazing for you or that it is possible the worst thing in the world for you.

What I can tell you though, is that despite every other form of coconut I have worked with has been strong in flavor, this oil is rather mild. I anticipated my house would smell like the tropics when I opened the jar, but it didn’t (easily corrected by lighting some fancy candles) and the flavor wasn’t over powering in the other recipes I tried at all. I loved the coconut flavor of the rice, but I’m not sure how much of that can be contributed to coconut oil. The rice did cook in and absorb two cups of coconut milk.

This is a product I am definitely interested in, and will be working more with. But for now, I’m rather neutral on it (which is probably a good thing as its an oil). I can’t wait to experiment more though with nibbles like this granola recipe from Katrina’s Kitchen!

Having just finished my jar of Kelapo oil, this would be a lovely thing to win! I made granola, muffins and a torte with coconut oil. In the past, I have sauted veggies, used it in pancakes (with toasted coconut in the batter) and cakes. It adds such a great flavor!

I follow you on facebook and twitter, and I posted my coconuts (or my fav. coconut oil recipe…does that count?) I’ve been using coconut oil for a couple of months and I really love it, but I can’t use butter so it’s helping me to fill the void.

I don’t have any real creative uses for Coconut oil – I just want to try it. I have seen people use it in breads lately, and I think that would be a treat twist. I think zucchini bread would be first up.

I would love to try this recipe! I have just recently decided after hating coconut my whole life, that I love it haha… I am borderline obsessed with coconut milk and haven’t tried coconut oil yet. I would love to win some to do just that though! I’m joining your e-mail subscription and plan on trying this recipe soon! 🙂

I use coconut oil for everything: cooking, baking, pan frying, and moisturizing!!
Coconut oil is so healthy and makes the perfect moisturizer for my skin, I love how it smells and feels.
I have been using it for making muffins, cookies, homemade graham crackers, anything that calls for oil I sub coconut oil and I still haven’t had anything go wrong so I am pretty pleased with my coconut oil goodness!
I have never used Kelapo oil and would really love to try that!
Ana

I’ve only use coconut oil once in a coconut chicken curry recipe over coconut-oil-flavored rice. Similar to your experience, I found the coconut flavor was very subtle (bordering on non-existent). Next up in the queue is a coconut quinoa spinach salad that sounded interesting.

I liked PTS on FB (as my Eating The Week page), followed you on twitter and subscribed to PTS emails. Great giveaway!

This sounds so awesome, I love grilled pineapple and the coconut rice sounds refreshing! I would just have to experiment with the coconut oil, I’ve never used it before! I follow you on FB and Twitter!

I love your use of coconut oil! My trainner has been telling me to take some (as in swallow a spoonful)- its supposed to help your metabolism speed up. I might have to start slower and cook with it first.

I, too, am dying to try Katrina’s granola, but I just made some coconut ice cream and I wonder how I could incorporate coconut oil in that for more coconutty taste?? And, maybe try it in baking! I will join your RSS feed and and email subscription.

Those are some of the prettiest kabobs I’ve ever seen, not to mention, delicious and wow, amazing photos and plating! What a fantastic way to use the coconut oil! I just made a tropical carrot cake using it..so moist and yummy!